Is Bourbon Less Fun Nowadays? - Conversations with Whiskey Drinkers, a
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- Опубліковано 28 сер 2024
- Chad sits down with Jason from @TheMashandDrum to have some drinks and talk whiskey. This will be a multi-topic series and in this episode, we ask the question; is it less fun to be a Bourbon drinker than it used to be?
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Chapters:
0:00 Here We Go
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#WhiskeyTube #Bourbon #WhiskyTube
If it’s less fun for y’all nowadays, it’s significantly more so for us normal consumers with tighter budgets. I gave up hunting over a year ago and it was the best thing I could have done. Now I just collect things I happen to find. I set zero expectations going into liquor stores and it’s been wonderful to see the gems I’ve found just sitting on the shelf that are amazing. I’ve always been a proponent of trying what’s on the shelf, but even more so now. Just enjoy what’s there!
Absolutely. Gotta manage those expectations when going into stores. Can't get in a bad mood if stores don't have anything allocated, because if it's a decent store, it will have plenty of great whiskey right there on the shelf!
I stopped hunting and started a whiskey club. Now my time is spent organizing events and hanging out with fantastic people. Best thing ever. Highly recommend it. 😊
Hunting whiskey can be a full time job. Work to spend your hard earned money. I have been through this. This just ain't right. So many liquor stores hoard bottles for themselves and their friends. You can't find them no matter how hard you try
@@sdmascar8905 I've found plenty of Stagg, BTAC, even the occasional Pappy up on the shelf behind the register in some stores, but do I really want to spend $1000 for a George T Stagg or a William Larue Weller? Or over $2000 for Pappy 15? Or $300 for a Stagg Jr? Hell no lol
Enjoy this type of video. Do more if possible with other UA-camrs. I've watched both channels for years and it's great listening to your viewpoints.
How cool! I think all of you should get together .. that being SLB, bourbon junkies, and Brewzle and have a whiskey round table. That would be a great show!
brewzle the hoarder ?
Trenton is worse than Brewzle. Dude spends too much time on Unicorn Auctions burning that Patreon money. Talk about a Flexer in disguise
@@Lawnshrooms Trenton and Kurt have a good relationship going with a local liquor store owner...they even sell their own barrel picks in his store. He has even appeared in one of their livestreams. They are pretty much at the top of his list whenever allocated stuff comes in.
@@johng5710I know about Harry’s store, what’s your point? I’ve literally seen posts from Trenton himself showing screenshots of him on unicorn auctions. Can’t dispute that fact I’m afraid. Trenton’s 20yr Michters didn’t come from Harry, I can bet that much.
@@Lawnshrooms My point is that they have access to more allocated bottles at retail price than the average whiskey buyer because of their YT channel. I wasn't aware of those posts from Trenton at unicorn auctions...I guess he doesn't get everything at MSRP like I thought LOL
Hope Sarah is feeling better!! For me whiskey is always fun if your drinking with friends or just relaxing listening to music. 👍🏻🥃
That it is!
On my channel, I always say: Find a whiskey, OPEN the whiskey, enjoy the whiskey. Because good whiskey is ALWAYS meant to be shared! Great video from 2 of my fav WhiskeyTubers !!
This is awesome you guys rule! I stopped chasing bottles. I still check out a store here and there just to see whats there but im happy with a lot of available whiskeys.
Thanks so much!
So glad you guys took on this topic. There is so much 'puff and fluff' right now about Bourbon. When I could buy Weller for $17 it was a really good whisky... at $100? Let's get real.... it's also about value. Thanks
Enjoying a good pour with friends will never be “not fun”. There are soooooooooooo many amazing bottles on the market. Whether we are sipping an $18 HH BiB or a hard-to-find allocated bottle, we always enjoy ourselves. The hunters and flippers will always do their thing. I’m completely happy with what we have and what we share. Good conversation!
I open every bottle I buy. I got a bottle of Weller 12 year for 69.99 and I was glad to bring it to my sister's wedding reception and crack it open to share for the special occasion.
It's hard to relate to these doom and gloom UA-cam videos lately when it's these very channels that have created the monsters that are re-selling, hoarding etc. This is true for many different hobbies portrayed in this format, but the key is to not cave to the hype, stay within your means and continue to have fun with it because in the grand scheme of it all it's not that important.
No doom and gloom here, just a conversation. Continuing that conversation here, this isn't the first time we've heard the opinion that WhiskeyTubers have started, or at the very least fueled the secondary market and hoarding culture, so we know it's a shared feeling amongst some, but we respectfully disagree. The Bourbon boom happened years before WhiskeyTube started up. It was the explosion of the popularity of the whiskey that caused channels to pop-up, not the other way around. You also had whiskey magazines, websites, and obviously the culture (meaning clubs, word of mouth) all before anyone said "this" or "that" is amazing and you should try to find it. I remember in 2016 and 2017 when our channel was just getting off the ground how things like EH Taylor, Elmer T Lee, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, and many others just started disappearing off of shelves and appearing in people's instagram pictures. It was happening with or without WhiskeyTube due to just the growing popularity of the hobby.
We still have tons of fun with the hobby of whiskey drinking and collecting, but just like anything thing else that continues to grow in popularity, new challenges crop up, and before too long you're talking about "the good 'ol days" even when it just 5 or 6 years ago. It's all good though, just a part of life. We'll continue to enjoy it with friends and strike up more conversations like these. Cheers.
@@ItsBourbonNight That's correct, the boom sttarted, then the channels popped up and followed, that's how it always is, with bourbon, watches, and many other items.
Yes, but without WhiskeyTubers, I'd likely purchase bottles not to my liking, waste money on name recognition and I'd sure miss out on the sleepers. They are all cognizant of the 'rush' to buy great bottles they expose. A great example is ET BiB.
This was a nice and honest perspective that I feel 100% about. The best way to enjoy this whiskey thing is by opening up your bottles and sharing them. Cheers guys!
Social Media has taken all Hobbies to a new level
Cool seeing you guys together - two titans of Whiskeytube! Cheers guys.
Thanks so much! It was a lot of fun making the episode. More topics to come!
I agree. I am enjoying not hunting for unicorns and just drinking great everyday bourbons that I can buy at any store in the country on any day of the week
Excellent video and advice. I had a pour of Pappy 15 on our 29’th anniversary dinner. My wife insisted I try it and what was I to do? It was OK. I will take a bottle of Elijah Craig barrel proof any day. I would much rather buy 5-6 bottles for $500. and experience various bottles I may like rather than spending $1,000-$1,500 and have it be a disappointment. Love your guys show
Cool to see you guys together I follow you two the most! 🥃🤘🏼
Thanks!!
Chad, you should do a roaming segment to subscribers home bars. I nominate my speakeasy as your next location.😊
Pop whatever you like. Bring Sara and Jason
Oh wow, 2 of my favorite UA-camrs and whiskey people. Jason’s advent calendar was best in show for December
I love bourbon but guess I’m not driven enough to deal with a scalper/flipper.
Great discussion guys.
Phenomenal video. Truth bomb after truth bomb after truth bomb. Great perspective. Awesome convo. Love ya both 🥃🥃
Met you in line at Chateau a couple of times and always enjoyed our conversations. Every bottle in my collection was purchased at MSRP. Refuse to pay secondary prices. I crack every bottle and share with friends. Still enjoy the hunt but getting harder due to all of the things you mention. Great video Jason because I can totally relate. See you on the hunt! Cheers.
My two favorite whiskey UA-camrs collaborating on a video together is awesome!Talked about some good issues. Hopefully you all can link up again for a future video!
Thanks! Check out our coming video on Friday for another topic!
I know you two had to have hung out for longer than 9 minutes. Hoping there’s a longer version of this conversation coming out. Would like to hear more of 2 of the best discussing this subject.
Jason I’m a buckeye about an hour south and have a golf channel. I’ve gotten into bourbon in the last 8 months, hunting bourbon in Ohio is almost an impossible task for those of us with day job and drops are Thursdays in the morning. Here in southern Ohio I find Kentuckian come up and will but the finite drops in my little village. So , unless you have infinite vacation or have serious hooks up allocated is a pipe dream. However, i have taken another path to getting near allocated bottles. By visiting distilleries and getting the items that are unique to visiting the distillery. For instance getting a “Y” batch instead of an A or B batch from Larceny or EC at haven hill. Or making my own a j mattingly. These are memories and great tasting bourbons.
2 top enthusiasts / reviewers. Love seeing this video and a big fan of both (even Jason with his WT this and WT that.. :) ).
Wow, you are in the Mash and Drum whiskey room. Nice! WHISKEY CHEERS 😎
Great video! Two of my favorite channels together.
Thank you!!
I stopped chasing bottles and started only getting bottles that are always on the shelf. Honestly just as good, if not better, whiskey and for way cheaper of a price. If I happen to stumble upon something nicer for msrp, sure I'll pick it up, but besides that I'm not wasting my time trying to find stuff.
Great video guys, as pointed out its the situation and people you are drinking spirits with that make the most impact. Keep up the good work, on both channels.
Thank y'all!!! I genuinely enjoy Blantons, but will never pay over retail. The market has gone crazy and hope it normalizes at some point.
Definitely feel like it's less fun. Started into Bourbon around 2015 and seen nothing but downfall. Sick of flippers. So glad to see you guys hanging with Jason. Awesome to see some of my favorite creators together.
Ohhh!!! Worlds colliding. Love both your channels ❤️❤️❤️
Cheers boys 🥃
Great colab! You two together is a FLEX ! Cheers fellas
Great video with a lot of truth. Watch both of your channels and enjoy them very much. I personally don’t enjoy hunting bourbons like I used to. I found a handful of liquor stores that are knowledgeable about bourbons with great palates. I buy mostly store picks and a few yearly allocated bottles. I never buy on secondary, although some liquor stores have raised prices to that level. I do still love to drink bourbons especially with friends. Cheers!
Love this collab!
Absolutely love this video seeing you both enjoy some pours and sharing discussions about the bourbon world that we live in and try to navigate. You both couldn't be more accurate with your logic. I'm a huge fan of both of your channels! Get together more often and drop more wisdom please 🙏
Store picks are the way to go.
Great collaboration
Great video gents!
I 💯 love these collabs… isn’t that what bourbon is all about? Fellowship in the spirit. As strange as it might seem, bourbon (and whiskey), is all about sharing and not hoarding or boasting. Fellas… more collabs talking about bourbon, life, etc.
This was cool as hell. Great collab
Went to a local group get together last night. The featured speaker was the local distributor for Davidson Reserve Tennessee whiskey. I bought a pour of JD 12 and sipped that along with the free tasting pours of Davidson Reserve. Well now I can say I don't need to chase any of that JD 12 but I will be picking up one of the Davidson Reserve single barrels. Fun evening. So yeah, whiskey is still fun.
I really enjoyed this video. loved the conversation.
Thanks! Glad you liked it. More topics to come!
Great information. Cheers Fella's.
Great Collab!
SOmetimes it is less fun. My son and I have camped on a few occasions to collect the top tier bourbons but end up short because we didn't take the time off to camp 24-48 hours ahead. Now we do get some really good choices but not the Old Fitz or Pappy's. Always the same guys ahead of us. Frustrating for us because we want to sip them and from what we can tell, they are there to flip them. ..really sucks. SO we have adjusted our hunt and hopefulle we will come across the two biggies at some point. Great topic!
Totally agree. My whiskey hunting has declined, which is sad since it has been my preferred drink since 1998.
Twinning! Huge fan of both channels! Well done!
Hey, thanks!!
Even liquor stores are charging ridiculous prices!
Love this video and conversation topic. Whiskey drinking vs Whiskey hunting. Big difference for me. There's part of the hunt that used to be fun and exciting, but after a while, I gave it up. I hate the feeling of FOMO. Not necessarily because I wasn't finding things but because I've settled in on the reality that there are so many good products from local/regional distilleries (I'm in GA) and store picks, that I'd rather go for those. Pricing is also a problem. This year I've committed to only buying local/regional and store picks. Occasionally I might buy something because of a local lottery due to buying store picks. But I'm done hunting. To that end, would be cool to see both of your channels explore more local and lesser known distilleries. More blinds. Etc.
I enjoy pairing bourbon and cigars. I've never considered going to the secondary market. I got started in Louisville 1994 when we started the Derby City cigar club. What a great experience and group of 1000 members.
Great video. I enjoy both of your channels and have been subscribed to both for some time now. Thank you.
I will admit I am a hoarder. But the things I have hoarded are my daily drinkers. Plastic cap Early Times, and ECBP when I really like them will buy backups. I do not sell them and refuse to pay secondary.
As soon as it becomes a chore, it's no longer fun. I still enjoy finding great bottles, but I find myself always going to the same 6-10 bottles that I actually want to drink regularly. It's kind of nice feeling FOMO go away. I just don't want to drive to 8 different stores every weekend. On top of that, prices are getting out of control and not just on secondary.
No no no it's just great. After a hard day of putting down hard wood flooring, get the fireplace going kick back with some blues n bourbon just makes it all better..
There's still alot of fun to be had discovering new craft whiskey distilleries. Sure there are a lot of duds, but the hitters are so great!
Thank you both for the video 🥃
First off I love both of your all’s channels. I think a lot of us people who watch the reviews of whiskeys see all the highly allocated bottles in the backgrounds or the ones that are being reviewed. Most people will never see or even get the chance to buy these bottles at MSRP. So they have no choice but to pay Secondary Pricing to get one. So these people are going to be less likely to open and drink them much because may never get a replacement bottle.
All my bottles are open and shared and enjoyed often!
I got into bourbon because it’s fun. Fun to taste, fun to hunt, fun to share, fun to watch UA-camrs. It’s still fun, although different as my journey evolves.
The first time a channel releases a pick it’s exciting. The 51st time - not so much. Trying to find a great, reasonably priced bottle is fun - but how many do you buy to get one that’s worth it? Trying pours at a bar is fun if you live somewhere where that is reasonable - which it really isn’t where I live.
I enjoyed this video. Love Jason C and IBN, and I appreciate how your respective channels have evolved. I’ve drifted away from some other channels.
I actually laughed out loud at the "I get the last word!" close. 😅
Two of the best in the biz
Dawwwww thank you!
I follow both of your channels. Yes, it's interesting to hear about the more expensive whiskeys but I'm down here stretching to pay $75 a bottle. 1.) I am retired and not sitting on a mountain of cash in my accounts; 2.) my nose and palate are not what they used to be; and 3.) I buy to consume, not save. Right now, I am enjoying sampling some of the small distilleries here in Iowa. Some of the stuff is good, and it sells for $50-$70. Before Christmas, the local chain grocery store put out several store picks in the $60-$80 range. They were from Yellowstone, Whistle Pig, 1792, and some other. A lot of those bottles are still sitting on the shelf. Was happy to listen to the interaction of you two but missed Sarah. I hope she is feeling better.
I really enjoyed watching this video I love both of your channels thank you
Great video, you guys should do this more often 👍
Great video chat
You guys meshed well. Enjoyed your conversation. Do more collabs.
I'm in a weird spot with what I've been able to acquire. I have a few hundred bottles, 43 of them are opened. I think 40 open at any one time is plenty, for anybody. When you have hundreds of opened bottles, it takes so long to get through them that you start getting into oxidation issues. So my opened cap used to be 20, then 30, now 40, and even then I went over. My best bottles (Pappy/BTAC/OFBB/blah blah) I save for special occasions. Birthday, Christmas, promotion, whatever. So those naturally don't get opened as often, but they do, and will, get opened. My Pappy 15 is already allocated for our 15th wedding anniversary, which will be April 2030. Until then, damn right it's going to sit there looking pretty and I don't care because I have a plan. These clowns that just collect for the sake of collecting, is just wild to me. Go look for Zippos or something.
Great video guys! Yeah a free market economy can be a bitch when demand far exceeds supply on something you love. Just gotta roll with it and hope distiller supply catches up someday.
Jason C is the absolute best, thank you for doing this collab. So sick of the idiotic hunting videos all over youtube, oh wow I walked into a store and recorded it, amazing 🤦♂
I've only been drinking whiskey for a bit more than two years now, but for me it's as fun as ever. On the other hand, both my budget and my congenital distaste for being part of the blind herd of lemmings prevent me from even caring about the highly allocated stuff or the secondary market. The only reason I buy whisky is to *drink* it, and I love doing that. And there's so much affordable good stuff out there that I am perfectly happy with an upper limit of $40 a bottle except on special occasions.
Good stuff guys!
2 of my favs
:) Thank you
I want a lot of bottles, but good bottles. I went from 25 bottles last year to 225 bottles today ranging from Mellow Corn to a 10yr Willett purple top bourbon. Not all are open but I am the only one in my house that partakes. But I have no problem opening any of them I just sampled out half a bottle of Old Rip 10 and cracked the Willett 10yr so I could get someone a sample (and yes I sipped it while putting the samples together😊) but it definitely isn’t always fun knowing the prices stores are asking for it and knowing 30 years ago when I worked in a liquor store, you could get pretty much any of this stuff anytime for retail
Enjoyed watching. Awesome collab!
I completely agree with Jason on the blind. My favorite bourbon spot they will now and then just set me up a total blind (I know nothing about what's in the flight), and one time it included Castle & Key, Blackwood Toasted and Van Winkle 15. Both my wife and I picked the PVW15 as dead last... even behind something as mediocre as Castle & Key. Another spot I go to have the Pappy Rye for a reasonable pour price so I tried it... same thing, very meh. I think many people are condition to think when they drink a "Pappy" product it's the best thing on earth, and through transit properties same seems to go for Weller and most BT products.
Great video. I like both your channels. I am retired and have time to hunt, but I always hunt to drink or share. Real thrill is finding unicorns at MSRP. Anyone can overpay.
Overall I believe it is a fun hobby. I get to drive through a lot of small towns for work and get pop in many liquor store. I talk to a lot of the owners and managers and quickly find out if they are in it stricktly to make a buck or if they enjoy the various spirits they are selling. I have a lot of shelf favorites, but i always keep my eyes open for the allocated diamond in the rough. I think both of ya'lls channels are great! I would also encourage people that consider themselves fans, or enthusiasts. Maybe once a year or every other year take a trip to Kentucky and check out some distilleries. You will find hard to get stuff and have loads of fun along the way!
Store Picks are definitely worth looking for 👍
Enjoying it more, now. We can find a lot of bottles to share and other things in life are less stressful.
I don’t flip stuff, so there’s no stress on that end. Also, there aren’t a lot of bottles I’m willing to pay over MSRP.
Good listen - and I like the idea of the blind pour of what you usually drink and something like Pappy. My local liquor store just got a bottle of Rip Van Winkle...at a cool grand. I want so bad, but don't want to be let down when I compare to my 10 yr McKenna I know and love.
Good topic and great conversation, guys!
Great collab guys!
Thank you!
The ending made me laugh!
I share all my unicorns i have and prefer it that way. I enjoy sharing my bottles more then i do drinking them by myself. I do not own a single bottle of whiskey that isn't opened.
That’s awesome, good on ya!
Good insight fella's. I primarily support our local hometown liquor store and request allocated items with little expectations. Feel like a big winner if i succeed.
Very interesting...as the song goes, there comes a time when eventually we will move on to different themes of our lives. I'm an enthusiast and that's it. If I see something rare, there is no guarantee I will even grab it. I was even scoffed at for buying "only one" bottle when I happened to be at a store for a nice drop. My thought is to leave some for others to enjoy. We are blessed in the US that there will almost always be another good bottle down the road. The lined up pics should just get the SMH. There is a lot of good juice out there made by good people - share and enjoy WITH each other - cheers!
You are two good dudes! I'm glad to say even though i have a whiskey channel I don't do the secondary thing or try to get bottles just to resell and i won't chase inflated priced bottles it's ridiculous. I'm a working man with a working man's collection.
I’ve been a loyal EC fan since I started this about 7 years ago and the games that are being played in my area with ECBP 923, this release, have my buddy and I losing our motivation to keep going. It’s getting ridiculous. Distributors messing with normal bottles around here. It’s that bad. I’ve never chased BTAC or any allocated stuff, if I find it great but I’m after normal bottles and store pics also like you Jason. it’s such a pain now. And watching the prices double on even HM BiB over the last couple years.
Please tell us you guys are brothers... Twins maybe??? 😁
Good stuff guys! Thank you the great conversation.
Bourbon, for me, is not at all less fun. There is still a group of us guys (around 8-10) that get together 4 times a year and do bourbon nights together. We try new stuff and do themes (like all BIB; Finished bourbons; Wheated; Rye; etc). Six of us just took a weekend trip to Louisville this past November and we had a blast! Maybe it's because we're all pretty realistic in what we can afford. A few in the group hunt like crazy, sure. But I know what I like, what I'm able to find, and can afford. The unicorns are just that, and will stay unicorns in my world. It doesn't deter me from enjoying the sweet sweet nector of the gods🙂.
Me looking at Jason, “you’re not Sara…”
Been in the hobby since I moved down here in 2000, yes all of the fun for me is gone. I loved finding dusty bottles in those liquor stores down town, or being able to find unique stuff on the shelves. That is not possible so I pick up store picks, my unique hunting has moved on to different spirits.
Definitely not as much fun for a couple of reasons (for me at least). First, I’m done with the secondary market, the amount of money and time it takes, and the flippers that need their dopamine hit on Facebook. Secondly, there is definitely a negative health impact with any type of alcohol and I can’t drink as much these days for health reasons. I enjoy the videos, but I’m done with the market games.
More of these please
Nice Collaboration!
As someone who can’t find or afford a wild insane collection of bourbon, I find it really weird when people try to tell another people what to do with their bottles of whiskey. Unless you were behind the guy in line who bought the whole case of pappy, the random dudes who have a bunch aren’t the reason you don’t have a bottle. As far as the people that have tons of cash and pay secondary for tons of backups of bottles, there’s no shortage of the rare bourbon at secondary prices, anyone can buy a bottle of anything at any time if they wanna pay secondary, so they’re not the reason you can’t find pappy at MSRP either, so I don’t understand these peer pressure thing of making people not do want they want to with their bottles they paid for. If they buy 5 bottles of pappy and drink them, or if they sit them on a shelf and get stared at, I don’t see what difference it’s makes to someone like me; I’m not gonna be getting it either way. As far as the whiskey “not being enjoyed”, I don’t give a shit if someone else “enjoys” their whiskey on my terms. It’s not my whiskey, im not entitled to it or entitled to dictate how it’s enjoyed. I buy the whiskey I like and drink it and let everyone else do whatever they want without harassing them about it or calling them names. Again, unless that guy who bought the case of pappy was in front of you in line, they’re not the reason you didn’t get to buy a bottle.
Besides, all the same people whining about it all, if given a taste of said bottles, would spend the whole time giving a sermon on why the bottle isn’t worth the hype or secondary price anyway.
To the people who say that these people caused all the hype and are why you can’t find it on a shelf since they created an artificial demand/hype and thus it’s allocated and you can’t find it, unless you were in the game 15 years ago, you wouldn’t have heard or cared about these bottles in the first place but for the hype that was created in the first place that causes all of this. If you could still find pappy on the shelf because none of the hype happened, statistically speaking you wouldn’t even have heard of pappy or cared about it either.
This obnoxious entitlement everyone seems to have about these rare bottles that they don’t own is what is making this hobby not fun anymore. Me believing I would enjoy the bottle more than someone else who is Hoarding a bunch, even if true, doesn’t make me entitled to it, as much as I would like if it did. My friends who act this way towards my other friends who have lots of unicorns are far more obnoxious than the ones who have lots of backups of unicorns.
If you reply to this comment saying I’m lying about not being a hoarder and actually have a giant hoard of unicorn bottles and I’m just trying to justify myself, (while I wish I did have a bunch of said bottles, you be proving my point that it’s people like you who are what make this hobby not fun since you can’t even fathom someone thinking or doing something differently than you without attacking them. And that’s the problem.
The price escalation alone makes whiskey less fun than it used to be. I don’t drink bourbon nearly as much as I did 5 years ago. The prices have skyrocketed, my wages have not.
I'll try to find highly allocated bottles when I can, but it is insanity. I will go to all the advertised lotteries and sign up for drawings online, but still have not won anything. The best chance I've had is randomly walking into my local Kroger store on lunch break and finding a 2023 Parker's Heritage rye. Opened that with my good friend who loves rye on New Year's Eve, and it was amazing!
I've also gotten a Hardin's Creek Boston and Elijah Craig 18 at that same store on different days. Just the luck of the draw.
Worlds collide. A fun one, thanks.